CAMH Problem Gambling Service

			Problem Gambling What is problem gambling? Problem gambling is a pattern of gambling behaviour that causes harm to an individual's personal or family life, work, finances or health. For signs of problem gambling, see Questions for Gamblers or Questions for Family Members The advantage is always with the house over the long term. That's how they make their money. The longer you play, the more likely you are to lose. Gambling venues are in business to provide a service, at a cost to the players. Games such as roulette, slots, lotteries and bingo are truly random. You cannot predict what will happen based on what happened before. What looks like a "streak" or a pattern is just chance; randomness is like that. Games such as horse racing, sports betting, blackjack and other card games have an element of skill, but not enough to overcome the chance factors, or for people to win consistently over time. Luck does not "even out" over time.   Did you know? The odds of being struck by lightning is 600,000 : 1 The odds of winning Lotto 649 is 14,000,000 : 1 The odds of winning Super 7 is 21,000,000 : 1   Risk factors for developing a gambling problem There are some factors that make people more vulnerable to a gambling problem: Growing up with gambling or starting early Growing up with addiction in the family An early big win Easy access to gambling Mistaken ideas about the odds Financial troubles Loneliness, boredom, unhappiness, isolation Substance abuse or mental health problems A tendency to be impulsive A tendency to overspend These factors are particularly risky in combination. For instance, a person who is feeling isolated and unhappy and has an early big win is more likely to get into trouble than a happy person is with the same win. The more of these factors a person has, the more vulnerable they could be to problem gambling.		En Français | Help | Search | Events | CAMH Library | Guide to CAMH | Donate Now   You are Here : CAMH > CAMH Problem Gambling Service > Problem Gambling >   Related Pages What is gambling? Problem gambling Problem Gambling Project Problem Gambling Service Youth Program Seniors Specialty Ethno-cultural Specialty Is there a gambling problem in your family? The experience of family members Questions for gamblers CAMH Gambling Screen (PDF only) Inventory of Gambling Situations Links & resources The Electronic Journal of Gambling Issues   How to Reach Us CAMH Publications

			For general information on addiction and mental health: Call the R. Samuel McLaughlin Addiction and Mental Health Information Centre Toll free in Ontario 1-800-463-6273 or local (416) 595-6111 www.camh.net/mclaughlin DISCLAIMER: The Centre is not able to provide diagnostic, treatment or referral services through the Internet. Individuals should contact their family doctors, or their local mental health or addiction agency for further information.		© Copyright Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 33 Russell Street, Toronto Ontario, Canada M5S 2S1. Telephone: (416) 535-8501 The Centre is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. A Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre For inquiries regarding the content of this page, contact Please direct technical questions or comments about this site to If you are a spammer or spam-harvesting robot, please send mail toimaspammer-on@lists.camh.net.
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This page was last modified on Wednesday, September 3, 2003 11:03 AM